Basketball toy paddle



BASKETBALL TOY PADDLE Filed Dec. 30, 1948 salon/a 4 62 fop, away/a2.

Patented May 31, 1949 "TU'NI TED S TE PATEN 'l F F'l'CE BASKETBALL TOY PADDLE .SolomonAxelrod, New York, N. Y. Application December 30, .1948, Serial"No.:68;241

:4 Claims. I

The present invention relates to paddles or rackets for use in games akin to tennis,ping'pong orvolley ball, and adaptable for toys of the type including a bounceable 'ball at the end of an elastic string, .the other end of which is secured tothe face of the paddle.

The principal object of this invention is to provide aitoyrdfxthe typexmentioned: of novel and improved construction, which .makes play therewith most .interesting and .affords new-pallbelhaviortemulating for instance, incidents of the .game .of. basketball.

...Another-.object of'this'invention is to yprovide a novel and improved article of-the character described, which by simple manipulation, can be used in different manners.

A further object hereof is to provide novel and improved construction for a toy of the class set forth, which renders the ball impotent at times, so that it falls substantially limp from the paddle.

Still a further object hereof is to provide a novel and improved toy of the nature mentioned, which affords a holder for the ball when the toy is not in use.

A further object of this invention is to provide novel and improved racket structure and toys of the character set forth, which are reasonably cheap to manufacture, affording great entertainment value and efficient in carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Fig. 1 is a front View of a toy embodying the teachings of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged section. taken at lines 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a rear view of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of components for the toy to be used to emulate the play of basket ball, for instance.

Fig. 5 is also a rear view of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of components for the toy to be used for play without the basket-ball feature, or when the toy is not in use.

In the drawings, the numeral l5 designates generally a racket or paddle, on the front face of which is secured one end of an elastic string 16, by any suitable means as the staple H. The other end of said string carries a small bounceable ball 18. The paddle may be of thin board delineated in grotesquel-manner,

as a shutter covering position presents the. mouth vof a receptacle 2| register with said .hole

ofasize topermit passage of..-the ball .18 therethrough, and. yet leaving considerable-[paddle surface withwhich to strikethe ball. Therfron-t face .of. the paddle -l5.may.be ornamented with any desired design or pictorial representation, and as shown in Fig. l, is the head of..a,person ..whose.- open mouthiis .the ..hole 'I 9.

LMoveably mountedomthe rearfacetof thepaddle l5,-is a memberifl, .whichin-one position acts .hole 49, :and in another 49.. y In the :embodiment illustrated, said member 20 is a rotatably mounted plate positioned flat on the rear surface of the paddle 15; the numeral 22 indicating the axis for such mounting, which may be a headed pin secured into the paddle body. The receptacle 2| may be a little fabric sack, or a cup of rigid sheet material, or other suitable structure to house the ball l8. In the embodiment shown, the rim of the mouth of the receptacle 2| is secured around an opening 23 in the moveable member 20. Of course, opening 23 is of a size to admit the ball 18 therethrough. It is desirable to provide the rim of the mouth of the receptacle 2| with a narrow inward flange as 24 to serve as an obstruction for the balls egress out of the receptacle 2|. To determine the positions of the member 20, stop pins 25 and 26 may be provided for engagement respectively with said member in the notches 21 and 28.

If desired, the front face of the paddle 15, may also carry a small pad 30 of very soft cotton padding or other suitable material which will nullify the bounce of the ball 18, when the latter hits the pad during play, whereby the ball will fall limp from the face of the paddle. Of course any number of such bounce-deadening pads may be included, and even placed on the rear surface of the paddle 15, because both surfaces of the paddle are used as striking surfaces during play. Likewise, additional openings and associated receptacles may be provided. Making the receptacle or basket of fabric or similar material, permits it to be turned inside out if struck by the ball at the rear of the paddle. Such turned in side out position is shown by the dash and dot line 2| in Fig. 2.

It is evident that positioning the member 20 in horizontal position in Fig. 5, the player would have to avoid the clear hole [9, or a game may be played having for its object to get the ball through such hole. With the toy as set up in Fig. 5, the shutter acts as part of the striking surface. Various games and rules of play may be formulated, and the manners of use of this toy are self-evident.

It is to be noted that rackets or paddles may be made having one or more of the constructional features herein set forth, and although the em bodiment shown has a ball attached by string, the ball may be separate as in tennis or pingpong.

Games having various rules of play may be formulated, as for instance to emulate basketball, catching the ball in the receptacle may be deemed a point scored, and at the deadening of the balls bounce when it hits the pad 30, such play may be ruled a foul.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications Without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiment shown herein be deemed illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the following claims rather than to the specific description and showing herein, to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In an article of the character described, the combination of a paddle having an opening through its striking surface of a size to permit a ball to pass therethrough, an open-mouthed receptacle to receive the ball through said opening and a manually operable shutter to obstruct said opening to the passage of the ball therethrough;

4 the receptacle and shutter being carried on the paddle.

2. In an article of the character described, a paddle having an opening through its striking surface of a size to permit a ball to pass therethrough and small in comparison with said surface, a member movably mounted on the surface of the paddle and an open-mouthed receptacle carried on said member and adapted to receive a ball through said opening; said member being shiftable to a position on the paddle whereby the mouth of the receptacle is brought opposite the opening in the paddle, and shiftable to another position on the paddle whereby said member closes said opening to the passage of the ball.

3. An article as defined in claim 2, wherein the member carrying the receptacle is pivotally mounted on the rear surface of the paddle on an axis normal to the face of the paddle.

4. An article as defined in claim 2, including means on the paddle for determining positions of the movably mounted member on the paddle.

SOLOMON AXELROD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,017,376 Brandt Feb. 13, 1912 1,184,822 Caplette Jr. May 30, 1916 1,228,575 Lynch June 5, 1917 1,559,953 Furman Nov. 3, 1925 2,042,984 Fritz June 2, 1936 

